Inflation Report
November 2007
Prospects for inflation
Chart 5.1 GDP projection based on market interest rate
expectations
The fan chart depicts the probability of various outcomes for GDP growth. To the left of the first vertical dashed line, the distribution reflects the likelihood of revisions to the data over the
past; to the right, it reflects uncertainty over the evolution of GDP growth in the future. If economic circumstances identical to today’s were to prevail on 100 occasions, the MPC’s best
collective judgement is that the mature estimate of GDP would lie within the darkest central band on only 10 of those occasions. The fan chart is constructed so that outturns are also
expected to lie within each pair of the lighter green areas on ten occasions. Consequently, GDP growth is expected to lie somewhere within the entire fan on 90 out of 100 occasions.
The bands widen as the time horizon is extended, indicating the increasing uncertainty about outcomes. See the box on page 39 for a fuller description of the fan chart and what it
represents. The second dashed line is drawn at the two-year point of the projection.
Chart 5.2 GDP projection based on constant nominal interest
rates at 5.75%
See footnote to Chart 5.1.
Chart 5.3 CPI inflation
projection based on market
interest rate expectations
Chart 5.4 CPI inflation projection
in August based on market
interest rate expectations
Charts 5.3 and 5.4 The fan charts depict the probability of various outcomes for CPI inflation in the future. If economic circumstances identical to today’s were to prevail on 100
occasions, the MPC’s best collective judgement is that inflation over the subsequent three years would lie within the darkest central band on only 10 of those occasions. The fan charts
are constructed so that outturns of inflation are also expected to lie within each pair of the lighter red areas on 10 occasions. Consequently, inflation is expected to lie somewhere within
the entire fan charts on 90 out of 100 occasions. The bands widen as the time horizon is extended, indicating the increasing uncertainty about outcomes. See the box on pages 48–49
of the May 2002 Inflation Report for a fuller description of the fan chart and what it represents. The dashed lines are drawn at the respective two-year points.
Chart 5.5 CPI inflation projection based on constant nominal
interest rates at 5.75%
See footnote to Charts 5.3 and 5.4.
Chart 5.6 Projected
Chart 5.7 Projected probabilities
probabilities of CPI inflation
outturns in 2009 Q4 (central
90% of the distribution)(a)
in August of CPI inflation
outturns in 2009 Q4 (central
90% of the distribution)(a)
(a) Chart 5.6 represents a cross-section of the CPI inflation fan chart in 2009 Q4 for the market interest rate projection. The coloured bands have a similar interpretation to those on the
fan charts. Like the fan charts, they portray the central 90% of the probability distribution. If economic circumstances identical to today’s were to prevail on 100 occasions, the MPC’s
best collective judgement is that inflation in 2009 Q4 would lie somewhere within the range covered by the histogram on 90 occasions. Inflation would lie outside the range covered
by the histogram on 10 out of 100 occasions. Chart 5.7 shows the corresponding cross-section of the August Inflation Report fan chart.
(b) Average probability within each band. The figures on the y-axis indicate the probability of inflation being within ±0.05 percentage points of any given inflation rate, specified to one
decimal place.
Chart 5.8 Frequency distribution of CPI inflation based on
market interest rate expectations(a)
(a) These figures are derived from the same distribution as Chart 5.3. They represent the probabilities that the MPC assigns to CPI inflation lying within a particular range at a specified
time in the future.
Chart 5.9 Frequency distribution of GDP growth based on
market interest rate expectations(a)
(a) These figures are derived from the same distribution as Chart 5.1. They represent the probabilities that the MPC assigns to GDP growth lying within a particular range at a specified
time in future.
Financial and energy market
assumptions
Table 1 Expectations of Bank Rate implied by market yields(a)
Per cent
2007
2008
2009
2010
Q4(b)
Q1
Q2
Q3 Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2 Q3
November
5.7
5.5
5.4
5.3
5.3
5.2
5.2
5.2
5.1
5.1
5.1
5.1
August
5.9
6.0
6.0
5.9
5.9
5.9
5.9
5.9
5.9
5.8
5.8
5.8
Q4
5.1
(a) The data for November are fifteen working day averages of one-day forward rates to 7 November 2007.
They have been derived from general collateral (GC) gilt repo rates at maturities up to a year and
instruments that settle on Libor (including futures, swaps, interbank loans and forward rate agreements)
further out, adjusted for credit risk. The data for August are five working day averages of one-day forward
rates to 1 August 2007, and were derived exclusively from instruments that settle on Libor, adjusted for
credit risk.
(b) November figure for 2007 Q4 is an average of realised spot rates to 7 November, and forward rates
thereafter.
Other forecasters’ expectations
Chart A Distribution of GDP growth central projections for
2008 Q4
Source: Four-quarter GDP growth projections of 22 outside forecasters as of 26 October 2007.
Chart B Distribution of sterling ERI central projections for
2009 Q4
Source: Projections of 17 outside forecasters as of 26 October 2007. Where necessary, the responses were adjusted to take account of the difference between the old and new ERI
measures, based on comparative outturns for 2006 Q1.
Table 1 Averages of other forecasters’ central projections(a)
2008 Q4
2009 Q4
2010 Q4
CPI inflation(b)
2.0
2.0
2.0
GDP growth(c)
1.9
2.4
2.6
Bank Rate (per cent)
5.3
5.2
5.2
Sterling ERI(d)
101.3
100.2
99.8
Source: Projections of outside forecasters as of 26 October 2007.
(a) For 2008 Q4, there were 22 forecasts for CPI inflation, GDP growth and Bank Rate, and 19 for the
sterling ERI. For 2009 Q4, there were 19 forecasts for CPI inflation, GDP growth and Bank Rate,
and 17 for the sterling ERI. For 2010 Q4, there were 18 forecasts for CPI inflation, GDP growth and
Bank Rate, and 16 for the sterling ERI.
(b) Twelve-month rate.
(c) Four-quarter percentage change.
(d) Where necessary, responses were adjusted to take account of the difference between the old and
new ERI measures, based on comparative outturns for 2006 Q1.
Table 2 Other forecasters’ probability distributions for CPI
inflation and GDP growth(a)
CPI inflation
Probability, per cent
Range:
<1%
2008 Q4
2009 Q4
2010 Q4
5
7
8
1–1.5%
13
15
14
1.5–2%
33
30
28
GDP growth
Probability, per cent
2008 Q4
2009 Q4
2010 Q4
2–2.5%
31
29
29
2.5–3%
13
14
15
>3%
4
6
6
Range:
<1%
1–2%
2–3%
>3%
12
9
9
42
30
24
38
41
40
8
19
26
Source: Projections of outside forecasters as of 26 October 2007.
(a) For 2008 Q4, 22 forecasters provided the Bank with their assessment of the likelihood of twelve-month
CPI inflation and four-quarter GDP growth falling in the ranges shown above; for 2009 Q4, 19 forecasters
provided assessments; for 2010 Q4, 18 provided assessments. The table shows the average probabilities
across respondents. Rows may not sum to 100 due to rounding.